


Untouchable

by Milligramme



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Bitterness, Denial, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Pre-Canon, Welcome to joyland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-04 21:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12176610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milligramme/pseuds/Milligramme
Summary: Tohru Adachi is barely out of the academy and life is already a pain. Until he falls in love with a new airsoft shop: Untouchable, that is. And maybe not just with the shop…However, a blessing is nothing but misfortune in disguise, and here is the proof.





	1. Chronic Bad Luck

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first Persona story, aka the embodiment of joy and sweetness!
> 
> A big thank you to my two beta: Rawen and Akaicchi! (go check his profile, his works are amazing: http://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaicchi/pseuds/Akaicchi)
> 
> Enjoy!

Tohru Adachi always thought of himself as the epitome of bad luck. Especially when it came to relationships. No wonder he had decided to isolate himself from society. Better alone than in bad company, right? People were shit anyway. Annoying, complaining, faking happiness even though it was obvious that their lives were nothing like what they want… The only persons who were truly meant to enjoy life were the ones born with talent, and he knew they were all looking down on people like him. The worst were the ones who pretended it was all hard work, even when it was obvious that the game was rigged from the start.

Tohru used to believe in that lie when he was a kid; that stupid “work hard and you can do anything” lie. And then he learned the truth, the hard way. There was no way someone like him who had to work his ass off for absolutely everything could ever amount to anything. And he refused to turn a blind eye to it anymore. 

The way he saw things, the only reason he got demoted and sent to the boonies was because he never bothered to get to know his colleagues more than was necessary. That and bad luck, because seriously, how could people punish him so unfairly after such a tiny mistake? Aizawa once burnt a vital piece of evidence and she was never bothered for that. Yamada let a suspect run away because he got way too drunk with his coworkers the night before, and no one seemed to care! And yet, the second  _he_ did something slightly reprehensible, by accident, something so tiny he refused to waste time thinking about it, he got more harshly punished than all of his incompetent colleagues put together!

Of course he'd be sent to the most boring little town on Earth. And of course, he’d end up being partnered with the only person in the whole country that gave off the exact same vibes as someone he knew from the city; someone he was actually sort of relieved to run away from. It’s hard to focus on work when you’re trying to prove rationally that two persons who are similar in so many ways are completely different. The more he looked into it, the worse it got.

Good thing he'd already decided not to make a single effort at work from now on.


	2. Of Guns and Men

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part 2! As you can see, it's super long compared to the first one. I decided it didn't matter if the chapters were super unbalanced, I hope you don't mind.
> 
> Enjoy!

Even when Tohru thought he was lucky, it always ended up being a trap; a misfortune disguised as a blessing. His meeting with Iwai was the perfect example.

He first met the man as part of his job. He was supposed to check the shop and make sure it wasn’t selling actual weapons in the guise of fake ones or  was otherwise some shady business. He’d always been into guns, so hearing about the place obviously raised his interest, and he volunteered right away to go check it under cover. He'd been out of the academy for less than a year, and it was the perfect mission to give a rookie like him. There were no objections, and the chief even seemed to appreciate this display of enthusiasm.

_Things had started pretty well at the station. Obviously, it didn't last._

As soon as he stepped in the shop, Tohru felt like he had walked straight into his personal version of heaven. There were model guns everywhere, and all of them were top quality. They were so beautiful that he had to resist the urge to buy half the store. The variety was quite impressive as well, and a little voice inside of him whispered that if he tweaked them just a bit, he could make them shoot real bullets. That could make up for the fact that he couldn’t have his own gun right away…

_That was unfair. What was the point of graduating first if he was still to be treated like an incompetent moron?_

If the detective fell in love with the store at first sight, the owner was more of an acquired taste. Iwai was blending so perfectly into the shop’s quiet atmosphere, only speaking when spoken to, and he was so utterly unwelcoming at first glance that Tohru almost forgot for a moment that he was supposed to be there. He had always disliked chatty retailers anyway.

However, the young detective soon changed his mind about that when they started talking about guns, once he came back and spent half of his paycheck on the best models he could find. The man seemed positively impressed by his knowledge. Most of the customers knew a lot about his products of course, but after a while it seemed that Tohru had managed to earn Iwai's respect, which was quite something. The idea made him really proud of himself, something that hadn’t happened since he graduated top of his class from the police academy.

_So young and full of hope… Yet another disappointment in his life._

The shop soon became his haven, the one place he was looking forward to going after work. There weren't many clients back then, except for two or three regulars like himself. He barely saw them, and he never really interacted with them anyway. He was only interested in two things: Iwai and his models.

At what point the owner became his main reason for coming, Tohru didn't know. However, after a few months, it soon became obvious to him that he was coming for the man more than for his products. It wasn't that surprising though, since the novelties were sparse and he already spent too much on them anyway. The detective didn't like people after all, so why would he start enjoying the company of a shop owner who clearly didn't want to be here? Also, he was mostly interested in his conversation, so it was still about guns in the end.

Of course, everything could have changed after a few disturbing dreams he had, warm kisses and strong embraces with the taciturn retailer, as well as sudden impulses to take his signature lollipop out of his mouth and just...

Tohru attributed it to the fact that Iwai was the only person he saw regularly outside of work.

In any case, nothing ever changed between the two of them. Short conversations about the products, the occasional smile whenever he spent a large amount of money in the shop, and that was it. Tohru tried to get closer to him a few times, cracking a joke and asking more personal questions – he didn't know who was the most surprised between Iwai and himself, when he did it for the first time; after all, the only reason the young detective wore his friendly facade was usually to put strangers at ease while trying to keep some distance between them, never letting things go further than necessary – but his attempts never led him anywhere. Iwai was cold to everyone, anyway. Nothing surprising here. At least he tried, he thought at every failure, trying to ignore the tinge of hurt and disappointment that hit him every time, sharp and painful like a wasp sting.

He found consolation in the fact that the owner was as cold and factual with all of his customers – the number was increasing, which was another pain in the ass; why were these people ruining his little spot of heaven with their annoying presence? – and Tohru came to think that the man was probably acting like that with everyone.

Iwai was like him, he naively thought. He had the aura of a loner, someone who had no one in his life and needed no attachment. That was part of what he liked about him. Untouchable. It was like the shop itself was named after him. Maybe it was... Tohru once tried to joke about it and only got an uninterested scoff in return.

At least he tried.

_Who was he trying to fool? Trying wasn't enough. It was never enough. That was yet another lie made for losers. Only success mattered in this world, and his relationship with Iwai was just failure after failure. All of his relationships were like that. He should just stop trying. He had stopped trying until now, and it was for the best. It gave him more time to focus on his job, where any mistake could cost his carrier and people were very realistic about the importance of success._

The image he had of Iwai shattered one summer day, revealing the curse that had been lying behind the apparent blessing all this time, and nothing was ever the same after that. That was the biggest disappointment Tohru had experienced since he found out how boring being a detective really was. Not that he had much to be disappointed in after that. He always made sure never to have expectations.

Kaoru.

The source of this mess was called Kaoru and never in his life had Tohru hated a kid more. The detective went to the shop after a hard day of work and a good scolding from his senpai for something that was clearly the bitch's fault, and there was the brat, looking no more than eight years old, proudly sitting behind the counter. He was reading a book bigger than him and only tore his eyes from it to look at Iwai adoringly when the man wasn't paying attention to him.

The detective was baffled by the presence of the boy. How come a loner like Iwai had a kid? It got even worse when he noticed that the retailer himself sometimes sent quick glances in the brat's direction, his expression full of a tender fondness he had never expected to see on him. That could have felt out of place, and it really was, compared to the mental image the policeman had of Iwai. But here, it seemed like the most natural thing ever.

“What is this kid doing here?” he remembered asking, surprised by his own boldness and amazed by how he managed to make it sound innocent and curious, so far from the irritation he was currently feeling.

“That's my son,” Iwai simply replied, not even tearing his eyes from his magazine and clearly used to the question by now.

The kid had looked up when he noticed the newcomer was talking about him, and he flashed him a shy smile. Tohru gave him a friendly one while scowling inside, cursing the brat for ruining everything.

Maybe his expression was a bit too friendly, because the boy suddenly opened up, the words popping out of his mouth like the cork of a sparkling wine bottle as he explained:

“The neighbor couldn't look after me today, so Dad brought me here.”

He sounded very happy about it. Tohru could have screamed.

“Kaoru, don't bother the customers,” Iwai intervened.

The kid apologized immediately and went silent, looking at his feet with a guilty expression. However, it was obvious for Tohru that there was a deep fondness behind the man's sharp words.

“It's okay, he doesn't bother me at all!” he heard himself saying.

That was a lie. The brat's mere presence was annoying.

However, the detective was still curious to hear more about him. Could Iwai have a wife? He felt a wave of displeasure at the idea. His bowels were getting entangled, the knots getting tighter the more he thought about it, and he hated the feeling all the more because he had no idea where it came from.

“What about your Mom then?” he asked the boy, keeping his friendly and harmless expression. That one always worked to make witnesses talk. Old people were the most sensitive to it, but it was very effective on kids too.

“I don't have a Mom,” the brat said innocently, not looking sad about the fact in the least.

The knot in Tohru's guts disappeared instantly.

“My parents died in an accident, so Dad took me in,” he further explained, to the detective's delight.

He sent another look in Iwai's direction as he said that, one that was so full of love and adoration that it was almost blinding.

“You don't have to say that to everyone,” the man said gently, clearly melting at the sight as he mirrored the boy's expression.

The knot in Tohru's guts reappeared instantly, ten times stronger.

“But he asked,” the brat retorted.

“Right. But it's none of his business, so he doesn't have to know.”

The words pierced Tohru's heart like a thousand daggers. He always knew he meant nothing to the man, but hearing it like that still hurt.

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked,” he apologized with a sheepish look.

The boy was clearly sensitive to that. Iwai, not so much. No surprise here.

From that day on, Tohru learned a bitter lesson: Iwai was, actually, a very approachable man. The more he looked at it, the more approachable he seemed. Apparently, Iwai was friendly with everyone except for him.

_Why was he even surprised?_

Soon after the event, the detective started noticing little things like how the man sometimes smiled at some of his clients, but never at him. How much friendlier he seemed in his interactions with them. That pissed off the detective to no end, but Iwai never seemed to see the changes in his behavior, like how his joyful smile whenever he arrived in the shop had turned into a displeased scowl or a resigned sigh. That pissed him off even more.

A blessing is always a misfortune in disguise, and after almost a year, this universal truth had finally proved itself once more. The fact that it took so long only made it harder for Tohru. After a few weeks of constant frustration, the detective decided that the irritation he felt whenever he saw Iwai being friendly with other customers – newer ones too; ones that didn't spend half as much as he did and were probably newbies anyway – was stronger than the pleasure he had in being here.

He stopped coming.

Of course, that wasn't enough to stop the curse. Nothing was that easy in life, especially if your name was Tohru Adachi.

 


	3. All Work and No Guns Makes Tohru a Dull Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand here is the last part!  
> I hope you guys don't get too used to it because I'm usually super slow ^^"
> 
> Enjoy!

Tohru wanted to become a police officer so he could carry a gun. He repeated this like a mantra during his years at the academy, when he was pulling all-nighters to study for a test, or even later, whenever his job was a pain. “Do it for the gun,” he'd tell himself.

_There was no justice in this world anyway so better do it for realistic reasons. Officers who believed in justice and crap like that were the ones who were wrong, and they would soon be crushed by the harsh reality of the world._

Guns made everyone equal, as long as you knew how to use them. No talent in the world could survive a bullet in the head. That would be Tohru's revenge on life, he'd decided, and the feeling of power and control he felt whenever he was carrying one were worth all the hardships and tedious tasks he had to go through on a daily basis.

Not being able to have his own weapon right away was his first real disappointment on the job. Things only went downhill after that, but all the frustrations he constantly had to deal with were washed away in an instant whenever he had a Nambu by his side.

Tohru thought it would be enough for him, but that was without counting on his sudden introduction to the world of model guns, and more importantly, model gun modification. After all, what was the point of a gun that couldn't shoot real bullets? For once, his craftiness came in handy.

After he had decided to stop coming to Iwai's shop for good, the detective soon learned two important things. One: he loved model guns too much to give up on them entirely. Two: the other shops in Tokyo were all shit compared to Untouchable.

He had tried every single one of them, and had always been disappointed. Some had super chatty retailers who never got off his back. Others had too little choice, or it was bad quality, or it was too pricy. One wasn't that bad but the employees always gave terrible advice, which annoyed him to no end.

_None of them were Iwai. He couldn't forgive that._

All in all, Tohru came to a simple conclusion: if he wanted new model guns, he had to go back to Untouchable. He hated the idea, but after weeks of frustration, he gave up.

His first visit to the shop went way better than he expected. He even let himself hope for a moment. When he walked through the doors, one of the regulars recognized him immediately and welcomed him with a:

“Look who's back! We haven't seen you in a while.”

Iwai looked up from his magazine and smiled.

“Welcome back, Adachi-san,” he said.

Tohru froze.

It was the first time he'd heard this from the man. Or from anyone. Ever.

Iwai had actually noticed his long absence, he had remembered his name, and he was currently smiling at him. It wasn't even one of those half smiles from whenever he spent a lot of money. Those weren't meant for anyone in particular and therefore didn't count. This one was the real deal, and it was directed at him. That was a lot to process.

It took Tohru a lot of effort to collect himself enough to offer a proper reaction.

A nice warmth had slowly crept up inside him, coming from his stomach and slowly enveloping his whole body. It felt incredibly nice.

“Hi, Iwai-san. Long time no see,” he managed to say with a sheepish smile.

The shop keeper was back to his magazine by then and the detective kept waiting for something else, getting ready to tell him about how he went to other shops and realized this one was the best, trying to find a formulation that didn't sound like he was expecting to find better, really, but after a whole minute of standing there awkwardly, his smile slowly growing more uncertain and then fading, it became clear that the other wasn't going to say anything more on the matter. Or in general.

He sighed, wondering why he even had his hopes up in the first place, and he soon began shopping normally, exchanging a few words with the other regular. He quickly found his old place, both relieved that nothing had changed and frustrated that Iwai didn't seem to care about his long absence in the least.

Soon, the old frustration was back, but he now knew that there was no escape from it. Tohru had lost his little spot of heaven. He came back because he had to, and he felt terrible every time.

_Not that anyone would notice._

As always, the blessing had turned into a curse. That was why he never let himself have hope for anything, and expecting something different this time proved to be a terrible mistake.

Still, like everything else, Tohru did it for the guns. It was always about them anyway. Every time he went to Untouchable, he reminded himself that he did it for that reason only, and he tried to forget about the man behind the counter, forever ignoring his smiles and the lingering question of how it would feel to have Iwai’s lips on his just once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was how I saw Adachi's relationship with Iwai. It's sad and I'm a monster.  
> That was supposed to be some sort of introduction for an AdaJima collection of OS, but it ended up becoming its own thing. Hopefully, I'll write the rest some day.
> 
> However, as I was editing this story, I realized that I could, actually, make Adachi and Iwai work. Kind of. So I'll try to focus on that for the time being!  
> Wish me luck!


End file.
